Libraries have become increasingly interested in studying the use of spaces within their buildings. Traditional methods for tracking library building use, such as gate counts, provide little information on what patrons do once they are in the library; therefore, new methods for studying space usage are being developed. Particularly promising are…

Reports on a survey which assessed automated authority control capabilities of 18 vendors' automated library systems, software, or services. Graphs rank vendors according to overall score, authority record source, format/storage of authority records, database dynamics, matching/linking authority and bibliographic records, syndetic structure,…

Compares pricing of seven CD-ROM-based public access catalog systems for libraries of diverse sizes and groupings. Other features of the systems are outlined in the broad areas of database preparation, indexing, database updates, hardware, information retrieval, library controlled elements, interlibrary loan, reports, user support, future…

Summarizes responses from an international survey of automated library system vendors who offer integrated, multi-user, multi-function systems running on mainframes, minis, and micros using multi-user operating systems. Companies were questioned about their computer systems, products, customers, staff, and sales figures. A comparative analysis of…

Compares database characteristics, access, display, editing, new records, hard copy products, hardware, and price of CD-ROM catalog production products from seven vendors: Gaylord Information Systems; General Research Corporation; The Library Corporation; OCLC; Solinet; Utlas; and the Western Library Network. (MES)

Describes a study which examined (1) the percentage of personal and corporate name authority records in the Library of Congress authority file that do not contain any references, and (2) the percentage of references present on existing authority records that are not needed in an automatic right hand truncation, keyword searching environment. (CLB)

Analyzes the impact of AACR2 on the card catalog in a medium-sized library using a random sample from a year's cataloging. Rates of conflict, amount of corrections, and creations of split files under different conditions are considered. Data are presented in four tables and a reference list is attached. (Author/JL)

Describes a project in which graduate students with knowledge engineering experience used five different microcomputer-based shells to build a prototype application of an expert system to assist library patrons with business reference questions. The strengths and weaknesses of each product are discussed and compared. (seven references) (CLB)

Reports the results of a survey of the Canadian integrated library systems market. The analysis includes comparisons of large versus microcomputer-based installations by type of library and across all libraries, foreign sales by Canadian vendors, and trends in the library systems market. (CLB)

Examines library automation product introductions and conversions to new operating systems. Compares user satisfaction ratings of the following library software packages: DOS/Windows, UNIX, Macintosh, and DEC VAX/VMS. Software is rated according to documentation, service/support, training, product reliability, product capabilities, ease of use,…

Describes an automation project at the Merriam Center Library in which Apple Macintoshes were introduced as library workstations. The implementation process, staff involvement and reactions, and current configurations and applications of the workstations are discussed. An appendix provides a comparison of current microcomputer based workstations…

Retrievability of titles of 152 periodicals were compared in a fixed-length algorithmic search (Library Computer System) and a keyword search (Washington Library Network) to determine which type of search algorithm is more successful with titles of varying lengths. Three references and a list of English language stopwords are appended. (EJS)

Describes two surveys of three libraries on a university campus, one conducted in 1987 and one in 1993, that investigated how library staff reacted to the library automation process. The hypotheses that were tested are discussed, and results are compared to a similar survey conducted in 1985. (LRW)

Compares the operating costs of the CL Systems, Inc. Libs 100 automated circulation system with those of the manual system it replaced. The systems are described, costs defined, methods of data collection explained, and unit costs given. (Author)

Discussion of the activities of academic libraries focuses on a survey of 27 English-speaking West African university libraries. The effects of technology are discussed, activities in West African university libraries are compared with activities in other African countries, and implications for West African librarians are suggested. (12…